Testimonial - Vulpine Press
Chase Gamwell - Author of Aiko’s Dive
Hi, my name is Chase Gamwell, a scientist turned science fiction writer! My debut novel, Aiko’s Dive, is available now!
If you’d like to know more about me, you can visit my website at chasegamwell.com. You can also find me on Twitter (@elaqure) and Instagram (@elaqure), but I’m most active on TikTok these days (@cgamwell)
Aiko’s Dive is about an orphan girl who learns she’s the last human in the galaxy, and when she goes looking for answers discovers a terrible secret…It will be a perfect addition to your TBR if you like the horror elements of Stranger Things, the movie Alien, and the world of Star Wars!
What Is your Book Aiko’s Dive About?
Why did you decide to publish your books with Vulpine Press? How was your querying experience with them?
I started my writing journey in 2013, and have written a book a year since then. Obviously, since Aiko’s Dive is my debut, none of those other novels worked out. Not for lack of trying, though. I’ve probably queried six books and received hundreds of rejections.
Aiko’s Dive received the most rejections–over 100–but even when I was running out of literary agents to send it to, I didn’t want to give up on the book. This was the one I really wanted to debut with. So, I started exploring other options, like small presses. And it just so happens I knew someone who had published a book with Vulpine, and they liked their experience.
The querying process for Vulpine is very familiar to anyone who has gone through the query trenches. They ask for a short synopsis, a bio, and a little about what makes your manuscript different or interesting. They actually got back to me pretty quickly asking to see more, and the editor they passed it to really liked what I sent along. The rest is history!
How has your publishing experience with Vulpine Press been (so far)?
I’ve really enjoyed the publishing experience with Vulpine Press. Everyone I’ve worked with has been communicative, professional, and thorough. I’m the kind of person that loves to be involved in the process and give plenty of input, and they made sure my voice was heard at every step of the publishing process. Even now, after release, they continue to work with me to give Aiko’s Dive as many opportunities as possible to be a success.
Would you recommend Vulpine Press to other writers?
Absolutely! Vulpine is a fantastic publisher, and I’d suggest them to anyone looking for a small press to work with!
For you, what are some of the pros & cons of publishing with a small press/indie publisher?
A huge pro of working with a small press is that you have a lot more access to the people and process, which means you have a lot more input and control than if you were working with one of the big 5! One of the challenges of working with Vulpine, specifically, is that they are located in the UK, so there is only a small sliver of time during the day where active communication may overlap. That said, however, I’ve received many emails from the folks at Vulpine at times that would be very late in the UK, so their dedication to their authors is off the charts!